Samuel haltom



, (No Model.) 7

S. HALTOM.

GAR COUPLING .No. 357,555. PaJtentedFeb. 8, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

SAMUEL HALTOM, OF HENDERSON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO W. J. CROW AND A. WETTENNARK, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,555, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed December 22, 1886. Serial No. 222,290. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HALTOM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Henderson, in the county of Rusk and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

This invention is an improvement upon the car-coupling for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 342,793 were granted to me June 1, 1886; and the object of my present lmprovement is to provide devices adapted to automatically couple and uncouple the flexible tubes of the Westinghouse air-brakes at the same time that the cars are automatically coupled or uncoupled, and thus prevent the necessity of a person going between the cars to couple or uncouple the flexible tubes of the air-brakes. This object I attain by the construction hereinafter described,land illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-coupling provided with my improved devices for automatically coupling and uncoupling the flexible tubes of the air-brakes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional-view taken on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view of the arm N detached from its supports.

A and B represent the spring-actuated coupling-hooks, which are adapted to engage the coupling-bars 0, upon which the said hooks are secured, as fully described in my before-V mentioned Letters Patent. To the couplinghook A, on the outer side of the same, is secured a depending hooked arm, D.

E represents an car, which depends from the said coupling-hook near the rear end thereof, and to the said car, on its outer side, is pivoted an arm, F, which is adapted to be engaged by the hook-arm E and retained by the latter in a position parallel with the coupling-hook A. The said arm F is provided with a channel or opening, H, which extends longitudinally through it and the front end of the said channel, and communicating therewith and located on the outer side of the arm F is a ball or offset, I, having a central opening which communicates with the front end of the channel H. From the rear end of the arm F, on the outer side thereof, projects a stud, K, which is also hollow and communicates with the rear end of the channel H, and to the said stud is coupled one of the flexible tubes L of the or-v dinary \Vestinghouse air brake apparatus. From the front end of the arm F, on the outer side thereof, projects. a pronged hook, M, which is arranged opposite to the ball or offset I.

v To the coupling-bar G of the hook B, and on the opposite end of the said bar from the said hook, is secured a pivoted depending arm, N. The said arm has its front edge at its lower corner thickened, as at O, and channels P are made in opposite sides thereof. On the inner side of the arm N, and communicating with one of the channels, is asemi-spherical socket, R, which is adapted to receive the shoulder or offset I. From the extreme lower outer corner of the arm N projects aiinger, S, which has a shoulder, T, at its upper end. From the outer side of the arm N, near the rear edge thereof, projects a hollow stud, U. This stud communicates with the socket 1t through a channel, V, which is made in the arm N, andto the said stud is connected the flexible tube L of the Westinghouse air-brake.

The car to which the coupling-hook D is attached is provided on its under side with a horizontal bolt-rod, V, on which is placed a coiled extensile spring, X. The front end of the bolt-rod is provided with a nut, Y, which bears against the front end of the coiled spring, and on the said bolt-rod and bearing against the rear end of the coiled spring is a sliding yoke, Z. This yoke Z is connected to the rear upper corner of the pivoted arm N by a rod, A. The said pivoted arm N is provided with a vertical slot, G, through which one end of the coupling-bar passes, and thereby the said arm N is adapted to be vertically adjusted on thesaid coupling-bar.

- The operation of coupling the cars and the air-brakes together is as follows: When the rco cars come together, the spring-actuated coupling-hooks B and A strike against theinelined couplingbars 0 and become engaged with the same, as described in my before-mentioned Letters Patent. The hook A strikes the coupling-bar O of the book 13 first when the cars come together, and thereby the said hook A has its outer end depressed. The spring X keeps the lower corner of the armN normally thrown forward and upward, and when the hook A is depressed it causes the arm F to be depressed also, and thereby the coupling-arm N is guided between. the front end of the arm F and the opposing inner side of the pronged hook M. The said hook and the ball or offset I of the arm F are guided in the grooves T of the arm N until the shoulder or offset Ireachcs the socket It, when it immediately enters the said socket, and thus couples the arms F and N together, so that their channels II and V, which are connected to the flexible tubes of the air-brake apparatus, communicate with each other. In order to form an absolutely air-tight connection between the shoulder or offset I and the cup It, I provide the said shoulder or offset on its outer side with an annular rubber or other elastic ring, 0, which becomes compressed between the said shoulder or offset and the cup or recess R and thereby effects an airtight joint between them. The shoulder T of the finger F engages the under side of the pronged hook M, and thus secures the arm F and the arm N together, so that they will not become detached by the swaying and vibration of the cars when the train is in motion. The arm N is provided with the slot B, and is thereby adjustable on the coupling-bar C, so that the said arm N is free to move with the arm F when the cars are in motion, to prevent the connection between the said arms from being strained, and to prevent the escape of the compressed air from between the shoulder or offset I and the cup or recess It.

The car which has the coupling-hook A is provided on one side with a vertical rod, G, that is journaled in cars E, with which the car is provided. The lower end of the rod G is provided with a notched wheel or disk, F, and on the depending end of the rod, below the said notched wheel or disk, is swiveled an ear, G. To the same swiveled ear is pivoted a lever, 11, having a shoulder oream, l, at its inner end, which is adapted to engage the notched wheel or disk.

K represents a gravity detent-cateh,which normally engages the notched wheel or disk and prevents the shaft G from rotating. cord or chain, I is attached to the said detent-catch and extends to the upper side of the car.

M represents a cord or chain,which is connectcd to the inner arm of the spring-actuated hook A, passes over a suitable guidingsheave, and is also attached to the shaft or rod i.

In order to uneouple the cars, the detentcatch is caused to disengage the notched wheel or disk, and a person standing on the ground alongside of the car raises the outer end of the pivoted arm H, so as to cause it to engage the said notched wheel or disk, and he then swings the said arm rearward] y, which causes the shaft or rod G to rotate and wind up the rope or chain M, so as to cause the book A to be withdrawn from the coupling-bar of the book 13. The said hook Zis also disengaged from the coupling bar of the hook A by a similar apparatus, and when the cars are drawn apart the coupling-arms F and N of the brake apparatus become detached from each other, as will be very readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a coupling for air-brakes, the combination of the arm N, having the recess or socket R, and the arm F, having the ball or offset I, adapted to fit the said socket when the cars come together, and the flexible pipes connected to and communicating with the said shoulder or offset and the said recess, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a coupling for airbrakes, of the movable arm N, having the re cess or socket It, and the pivoted arm F, having the shoulder or offset I, adapted to fit the recess R, and provided with the arm M, to direct the said shoulder or offset to the said recess when the coupling-mans come together, the said shoulder and recess forming the terminals of the air-pipes at the ends of the cars, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the pivoted arm N, the spring to normally project the lower corner of the said arm forwardly, the said arm being also provided with the recess R, communicating with the flexible air-pipe and having the finger S, provided with the shoulder T, and the pivoted arm F, having the offset or shoulder I, communicating with the flexible air-pipe, and the arm M on one side of the arm F, and adapted to direct the shoulder or offset to the recess It when the cars come together, substantially as described.

4. In a coupling for air-brakes, the pivoted arm N, having the slot 13, whereby it may be freely adjusted, the spring bearing against the said arm, and the recess or socket It in one side of the arm and communicating with an air-pipe, L, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a car-coupling having the coupling-hooks A and B and the coupling-bars G, with which the said hooks engage, of the arm N, pivoted to one of the couplingbars and depending therefrom, the said arm being provided with the socket or recess It, communicating with the air-pipes, and the arm F, pivoted to one of the hooks and having the shoulder or offset I, communicating with the air-pipe and adapted to enter the socket B when the cars are coupled, substantially as described.

6. The con'ibination, in a cancoupling, of

gage the same to rotateit, and the detent-catch the pivoted coupling-hook, the rod or shaft In testimony that I claim the foregoing as G, the cord or chain connecting the couplingmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in IO hook with the said shaft or rod, the arm H, presence of two witnesses.

I swlveled to the shaft G and adapted to en- SAMUEL HALTODL to engage the rod D and prevent rotation I Witnesses: thereof, all combined and arranged to operate l G. O. DOYLE, substantially as described. \V. H. FRIZZELL. 

